Easy Fair Isle Baby Hat

The general shape of the pattern is modeled upon Lynne Frederickson Rago's Beginner’s Fair Isle Baby Hat!, but the Fair Isle part my own creation. After knitting Rago’s pattern, I realized how simple Fair Isle is and was so excited about learning how to do it that I had to write my own pattern. It’s still simple, but a step toward more complex colorwork.

Materials
US size 6 double pointed needles (or size to get gauge)
Partial skeins of 3 contrasting colors of worsted weight yarn

Gauge
20 inches/4 inches

Instructions
With MC, CO 80 stitches, join without twisting.
Knit for 3 inches.

Fair Isle Pattern

1. [K1 CC1, K4 MC] around

2. [K2 CC1, K2 MC, K1 CC1] around

3. [K1 CC2, K4 CC1] around

4. [K1 CC1, K1 CC2, K2 CC1, K1 CC2] around

5. [K2 CC1, K2 CC2, K1 CC1] around

6. [K2 CC1, K2 CC2, K1 CC1] around

7. [K1 CC1, K1 CC2, K2 CC1, K1 CC2] around

8. [K1 CC2, K4 CC1] around

9. [K2 CC1, K2 MC, K1 CC1] around

10. [K1 CC1, K4 MC] around

Knit one round in MC, then begin to decrease.

1. [K8, K2 tog] around
2 and all even rounds: K around
3. [K7, K2 tog] around
5. [K6, K2 tog] around
7. [K5, K2 tog] around
9. [K4, K2 tog] around
11. [K3, K2 tog] around
13. [K2, K2 tog] around
15. [K1, K2 tog] around

K around
K2 tog around
K around
K2 tog around—4 stitches left on needles

Slip all stitches to a single dpn and continue in I-cord about 1 inch
To finish I-cord:
K2 tog, K2 tog
K2 tog—1 stitch left
Cut yarn, leaving a long enough tail to weave in. Pass yarn through last stitch and pull tight.
Weave in all ends.